Kla Tencor Corporation

Other

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Chris W Lee

Kenong Wu

Michael John Van Riet

Lisheng Gao

Martin Plihal

Brian Duffy

Tao Luo

Saravanan Paramasivam

Patrick Huet

David Y Wang

Sharon McCauley

Vidyasagar Anantha

Tommaso Torelli

Yi Liu

Mark Dishner

Ronald L Suciu

Dominic G David

Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer are provided.

Selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer

Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for selecting one or more parameters for a defect detection method are provided. One method includes selecting one or more parameters of a defect detection method using an optimization function and information for a set of classified defects, which includes defects of interest and nuisance defects, such that the one or more parameters satisfy an objective for the defect detection method.

Selecting parameters for defect detection methods

Computer-implemented methods for performing one or more defect-related functions are provided. One method for identifying noise in inspection data includes identifying events detected in a number of sets of inspection data that is less than a predetermined number as noise. One method for binning defects includes binning the defects into groups based on defect characteristics and the sets of the inspection data in which the defects were detected. One method for selecting defects for defect analysis includes binning defects into group(s) based on proximity of the defects to each other and spatial signatures formed by the group(s). A different method for selecting defects for defect analysis includes selecting defects having the greatest diversity of defect characteristic(s) for defect analysis. One method includes classifying defects on a specimen using inspection data generated for the specimen combined with defect review data generated for the specimen.

Computer-implemented methods for performing one or more defect-related functions

Methods and systems for generating unbiased wafer defect samples are provided. One method includes selecting the defects detected by each of multiple scans performed on a wafer that have the most diversity in one or more defect attributes such that a diverse set of defects are selected across each scan. In addition, the method may include selecting the defects such that any defect that is selected and is common to two or more of the scans is not selected twice and any defects that are selected are diverse with respect to the common, selected defect. Furthermore, no sampling, binning, or classifying of the defects may be performed prior to selection of the defects such that the sampled defects are unbiased by any sampling, binning, or classifying method.

Unbiased wafer defect samples

An email proxy server receives a registration request from a client having a private email address. The proxy server generates a public email address and associates the public email address with the private email address. Upon receipt of a first email message from a sender having a sender address, the sender address is also associated with the public email address, and a new_from address is generated which is unique. The first and any subsequent email messages which are received with a sender of from@snd.dom and a recipient of public1@flt.dom is sent to the registered recipient by the proxy, using associated sender new_from@snd.dom and registered address private1@rcv.dom. Any reply from the private sender carries the recipient new_from@flt.dom and sender private1@rcv.dom, which are translated by the proxy to from@send.dom and public1@flt.dom, respectively. In this manner, each public address is bound to the first respondent, and is only usable by that respondent.

Email proxy server with first respondent binding

Systems and methods for managing optical inspection target components are disclosed. A method may include, but is not limited to: storing at least one external recipe component at an inspection tool node; associating at least one proxy component with the at least one external recipe component; associating the at least one external recipe component with at least one optical inspection target recipe; and storing the at least one optical inspection target recipe including the at least one proxy component in a recipe distribution server. A method may include, but is not limited to: receiving a selection of at least one recipe associated with an optical inspection target to be inspected at a first inspection tool node; and determining whether one or more external recipe components associated with the recipe are stored on at least one of the first inspection tool node and a second node.

In-place management of semiconductor equipment recipes

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Chris W Lee